About Us

Bison’s story and leadership

Bison’s Story

We had high hopes!

I was a data analyst, trying to do things betterAfter working with financial controllers for many growing and emerging businesses, I know how time-consuming it is to create meaningful reports. QuickBooks is a fantastic accounting software solution, and inside of it, there is a wealth of data. But pulling all of that data together into meaningful, actionable reports, takes a lot of time, especially the one-off, ad hoc reports that are frequently requested during crunch time. It seemed like more of my time was spent generating reports then in real business analysis. Unfortunately, all of the so-called solutions out there were cost-prohibitive for my clients, and nearly all of them required abandoning QuickBooks, which had served them so well. I really wanted to find a way to do more with what we had available.

An Overnight Success, a Decade in the Making That was 10 years ago, and that’s when I decided to stop moaning and be part of the solution. I was going to do what no one else seemed to be able to do – supercharge QuickBooks data. Well, let’s just say it was easier said than done. But we kept at it, and at one point, we were pretty sure we had a solution that was gonna blow people’s minds. Seriously, we thought we’d cracked it.

If data analytics gets your team motivated, then we need to talk.

At the time, I began working with a small business as a test case. At first, the managing partner was very impressed, but as we worked together, he threw one curveball after another. This was real-time testing of a product in development, and we were learning from experience. And believe me, experience can be a really tough teacher. We discovered that we would have to pull up stakes and switch to a new platform. I was frustrated. More than anything, I was annoyed that I had just wasted years of my life developing something that was never going to be. Time is the one thing we can never get back, and ironically, that was what I was trying to solve for. It was a humbling experience.

Go big or go home At my lowest point, when I realized a rather sizeable investment in time and resources would need to be made, I was faced with a decision. I could abandon my efforts, take everything as a big learning experience, and move on. Or, I could double down and go for broke. In hindsight, the decision was obvious. I just couldn’t quit before I gave it my all. And that made all the difference. Bison Analytics struck up a new partnership with IntetSoft, and together we solved the nagging problems we had been facing. Very soon, the Bison System was performing just the way we knew it could.

Bison integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks to give you sophisticated Business Intelligence. We help you identify opportunities, stay on top of trends, and catch fires before they start. And our scalable automations save you time so that you can focus on what’s important.

If only I had a boat.

One growing company helping another As I grow Bison Analytics, I take great pride in partnering with other growing companies. I understand their struggle, because I’ve been there. I am especially happy that the Bison System provides them with the one thing they can’t get back – time. No one ever said on their deathbed, “I wish I’d spent less time with my family.” With the Bison System, emerging organizations can do more with what they have. What they do with that newfound time is up to them. For me, I’ll spend it with family. What will you do with the time I save you?

Kurt Steckel, CEO

Fascinated during his early education by subjects that influenced a successful career in BI, Kurt excelled in math and found his niche in college statistics. At Thunderbird School of Global Management he created elaborate Excel models for his entrepreneurship classes, and by then he was hooked on business analytics.

Kurt has served as a consultant for numerous Fortune 500 and public companies, including The World Bank/International Finance Corporation; Merck & Co; Verizon Wireless; and American Electric Power. He has consulted on the use of Cognos, Business Objects, Hyperion, and Microsoft BI toolsets in conjunction with leading databases such as Teradata, Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, and MySQL.

He worked on the Hyperion business intelligence implementation team before leaving to start Bison Analytics in 2006. Kurt’s substantial experience in analytics and his passion for smaller businesses led to the Bison System: helping executives supercharge QuickBooks to drive growth. Analytics define Kurt’s life and his leadership as CEO of Bison Analytics is rooted in his passion.

Kurt lives in Central Pennsylvania with his wife Amy and their four young children: Finn, Evie, Orin, and Arden.

"KEY TO OUR DECISION WAS THE STAFF'S LEVEL OF PROBLEM SOLVING EXPERTISE AND ENTHUSIASM."